DAY # 237

UPDATE: Sunday, 12-Feb-2006 1:24 PM

Just had "sleep nirvana" after more than 10 hours in bed. I had no idea that I could sleep that long, but it's good to know the capacity is there. I had planned a good 10K or so hike this AM around the countryside, but so much for that. It must have been a dream sometime in the morning during deep sleep.

Well, the kids are away at the grandparents and my wife has settled in with a nice book. That leaves me with my favorite subject for a few hours --building Maxsimo.NET.

It's almost mid month and I need to review my list of "TO DO ITEMS" and look ahead to the next two weeks. As usual, before I get a good grasp of everything the two weeks will just fly by...

Anyway, the major items on the "TO DO LIST" were the continuous updates of the reports and sites. I feel that a lot of that has gotten done, but a lot still needs to be done. For example, I have my USER MANUAL well under way, but it still lacks a title. I still cannot come up with the "gut wrenching" title that will keep everyone captivated to the end.

I still have updated reports that I have not uploaded into the Member area. I still have text updates in the Member ADMIN area that I have yet to send to programming.

So, all this work is continuously updated. I think by the end of February, I will be happy with the progress where the reports, the programming and the overall "look 'n feel" of the network is looking at a point where I'd like to see it. Of course, this is after about a half a dozen updates. Nothing even looked like it does now when I started.

That leaves me with the other major undertaking --biig.com. Perhaps, of all the sites and databases, this will be the largest. I wanted to write more in the USER MANUAL about the intentions of the site. I think I would summarize the intentions this way:

PHASE ONE: Establish an IR managed directory and search engine. My estimate is that over 10 million links can be part of it with 50,000 IRs and over 250,000 categories. The links will come from over 200 countries and about the same number of languages.

I remember reading a while back about India have 600 official languages, so at some point I'll have to setup rules about how "deep" such categories will go, but then again, I hope there is a good IR from India who is familiar with the languages and will present them in a good manner.

Just writing this remains me of a book titled "A 1,000 places to visit before you die" so something like it. India is at the top of my list. Hopefully, one of these years. Anyway, I think it will be very special when I can use the Maxsimo Card while traveling and do all the booking via Merchants accepting the card online. I look forward to that...

Ok, back to work!

PHASE TWO: Build in several unique tools and services that help Members establish good, targeted traffic. I think that ROBObanner and the Maxsimo Card are the best tools at this point. I am sure that IR and many Members will also have tools that they want to suggest and I want to be open to all kinds of possibilities.

I shouldn't forget the fact that even maxsimo.org, which I hope will have it's site updated and database ready before the end of the month, is ALSO a TOOL! The reason I present it that way is because it creates "good will" among our Members and Merchants who know that they small actions are collectively amplified and unified to make a difference worldwide.

PHASE THREE: Share the directory and search engine with licensees who will further expand our reach. This does not have to be the English dominated search categories, but it can go further into areas as language specific areas that will get built as part of biig.com.

I think that data feeds from all parts of the directory presenting up-to-date information while paying and sharing in the success with IR will be powerful. It will also be needed very badly. I applaud the Internet for presenting altruistic, volunteer based operations all the time. Places like wikipedia are fantastic, but folks, this is just the beginning of the Internet and sooner or later someone has to put up the money to make the sites work and get their work done. At this point everyone is enjoying the bandwidth and what can be done, but IF even small changes occur, then the picture, the environment on the Internet can change very quickly.

Take this example. When the postal service was first introduced in the United States no stamps were required. However, after a short period stamps were introduced because the service was far too popular! Sound familiar?

Just last week, AOL (I think) introduced a proposal to charge email senders to their network. The guaranteed delivery of email to AOL members in this case would cost per thousand to the senders. All this is action that I think will soon be common to the Internet.

Sure, many things are free, but as we get used to it and as we depend more and more on it, the "owners of the systems" will not resist charging us. Take for example, the world's most used search engine that has a stock value more than the annual GDP of most countries. They may be in the position to charge you and me $X for every 100 or 200 or whatever searches that we want to do. It's just a matter of time.

So, I think our effort is very timely and time will tell how much every IR will be rewarded for their efforts. Indeed, I hope there are several hundred key words/phrases that are worth well over a million dollars annually. I think that can be achieved with a good web site at the end of the key word phrase.

Ok, back later today with a wrap up and thoughts for the week.

PERHAPS, ONE POINT of CLARIFICATION:

The directory at biig.com is intended for not MORE THAN 20 of the best sites for any given category. That means that for example, given a category "Internet Marketing" >> "Email Marketing" >> Top 20 sites. Eventually, the idea is to list only one to two pages of results. That's it. I can tell you that I have been searching the Internet now for 10+ years, and I have never gone beyond a couple of pages on a search and most often the pages beyond the 2nd page is a waste of time.

I think it's a mistake to show endless amount of results, however, with the help of our IR's when we maintain, for example, the 20 BEST Sites, then we have an advantage.

UPDATE: Sunday, 12-Feb-2006 7:38 PM

I should add to the above comment that there is more competition by the sites to make their's the best, as well. Otherwise, we'd drop a site that does not meet our quality.

Well, now a look to the coming week... finally, more of our advertising is kicking in. In this occasion some newspaper advertising. We'll keep adding advertising, month by month, for the coming 3 or 4 months. I think advertising on about 2 newspapers and several online locations will cost around $2,800 per month. However, given all the energy that has gone into Maxsimo.NET, it's just a 'drop in the bucket' and well worth it --it's basically insurance that I hope will help us take the IR count to around 1000 by the end of February and then to over 25,000 by the summer time.

We'll need that many IR's just to manage the directory at biig.com. Furthermore, my assumption is that out of the so many all of them might do something. We'll that is not the case --only about 10% (still high) will do something. In 17 years of work in the industry, and seeing what I have seen, that is the case. Anyway, I still think that with our program, done correctly we can increase that paltry figure and perhaps, increase it to about 15% or even 20%. After all, when people make money, they tend to participate more and more.

In the end I think about 10 times the number of people are needed. However, getting there I think will take 3 or 4 years at the earliest.

Well, there's a lot of work to do, and I need to plan that for myself and staff for this week. Fun stuff. And great stuff. I just have to remember to take ample time off. That is what gets me in trouble. Forgetting to 'live life' while getting all this done. Well, I've got to go. Carpe Diem, Sam.

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